The Congress party’s centenary celebration of the historic meeting of  Gandhiji and Sree Narayana Guru (Guru-Gandhi Samagama centenary) has stirred a political row in Kerala as two disgruntled Communist leaders participated in the event organised by the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) here  on Wednesday.

Former state PWD minister and senior CPI-M leader and G Sudhakaran and former civil supplies minister and senior CPI leader C Divakaran participated in the event held at the Congress headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram. Both Sudhakaran and Divakaran have strained relations with their respective parties.

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Opposition Leader in the Kerala assembly  VD Satheesan, who inaugurated the ‘Mozhiyum Vazhiyum Asya Sagara Sangamam ‘seminar, which was part of the programmme, spoke in praise of former PWD minister  G Sudhakaran and former civil supplies Minister C Divakaran.

“G Sudhakaran is the most righteous public works minister in the history of Kerala. For me, C Divakaran is an elder brother who gave advice to me in the Assembly. We didn’t have to criticize both of them in the Assembly,” Satheesan.

G Sudhakaran has been considered one of the cleanest leaders in the CPI-M. However, he has been sidelined by the CPI-M since 2021. C Divakaran has been vocal in his criticising Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the CPI after being denied a ticket in the 2021 assembly elections.

Terming Guru-Gandhi meeting as historic, Satheesan said that Sree Narayana Guru and Gandhiji travelled on the same path.  “Sree Narayana Guru ignited social change in Kerala.Gandhiji has acknowledged the impact of his meeting with the Guru and  Ayyankali. Gandhiji stated that the meeting with the Guru and Ayyankali changed him a lot,” Satheesan said. He said the message of the Guru-Gandhi meeting should be passed on to the coming generation.

The Congress in Kerala celebrated the 100th anniversary of Gandhi’s meeting with Sree Narayana Guru as Guru-Gandhi Samagama centenary. Gandhiji  met  Sree Narayana Guru  on March 12, 1925, at Vanajakshi Mandiram near Sivagiri near Thiruvananthapuram. On that day, the two leaders sat together on a Khadi rug, symbolizing their shared vision of social reform.